Soccer Analyst for Fox Soccer Report and Fox Soccer News 24/7 from 2001 to 2013 and I can now be seen on Soccer Central in Canada. I have been a soccer writer and broadcaster for over 20 years and I have followed the world's game for as long as I care to remember. I also write a regular column at soccerly.com.

Why The IOC Should Be Very Worried About FIFA And Brazil 2014

Chuck Blazer, the former General Secretary of CONCACAF the regional governing body for soccer, had an interesting observation after FIFA decided to award the 2022 World Cup Finals to Qatar.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JULY 30: Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer during the Preliminary Draw of the 2014 FIFA World Cup at Marina Da Gloria on July 30, 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

In an interview with Soccer America published in December 2010 Blazer said that despite reservations about South Africa, FIFA left with a feeling that if a great World Cup could be pulled off there, it could be done anywhere.

With around four years to go at that point, it is doubtful that red warning signals were flashing over the 2014 hosts Brazil. (Some may argue that with the test event of a Confederations Cup in 2013 the organizers had less time).

But since then the level of FIFA irritation has grown and the rows have become much more public. FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke had been acting as point man for FIFA until he publicly and quite colorfully announced his frustrations a few weeks ago.

Brazil took some exception to Valcke’s remarks and pushed for his removal. FIFA made some noises that might have been interpreted as acquiescing to Brazil’s request but after a few days the Brazilians got an apology and nothing else.

But there again, on Wednesday Brazil did get something else. FIFA made an unprecedented move and co-opted its entire Executive Committee on to the 2014 FIFA World Cup organizing committee.

Normally a FIFA organizing committee would be formed and report to the Executive Committee of the world governing body. The FIFA organizing committee would act as an overseer to the national organizing committee of the host nation – normally referred to as the LOC (Local Organizing Committee).

To place the entire Executive Committee on the FIFA panel places immense pressure on the Brazil 2014 LOC. It is a clear signal from the world governing body that it has lost patience with a LOC that presently consists of just three members. (South Africa had a 16-person board of directors sixty-six months before the opening game).

As the franchise holder of the event FIFA would not have made such a move without fully weighing the consequences. After all there is no gain to devalue your own product and to question your partner’s (in this case Brazil) ability to organize and host.

FIFA World Cup 2014 logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But this move is a very public reminder that FIFA ultimately calls the shots and when Brazil signed on for the event they agreed to a governance structure that makes the LOC “subject to the supervision and control of FIFA, which has the last word on all matters relevant to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. The decisions of FIFA are final.”

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Maybe the solution is to expand both events. You are right Mexico and Germany were decades ago and the modern media and quantity of spectators and athletes and additives is so high today, perhaps the world cup needs a multi country model after qatar. I think it is funny how the world cup will have gone to the biggest size wise european and south american governments and then goes to its smallest host ever. Even though by 2022 something tells me economically human society will have made certain adjustments by then in some fashion http://centralharlemite.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/soccer-2012/#comment-552

Very telling Bobby, what FIFA has done placing itself now directly on Brazil’s organizing committee. Here in the wild wild West(Southern California) we refer to this as “riding herd”. FIFA is basically playing ‘cowboy’ and the Brazil LOC is the herd. No cattle like that. Brazil’s legacy off to a slow start………. I feel Texeira’s now complete resignation and withdrawal from all things football was a late concession by the LOC, but the tardiness and damage is already done. In contrast, I point out to people how the USA put on the last 24 Nation World Cup and it is still the most successful both financially, ticket-wise, and in transportation. People STILL speak of it glowingly that I have met. I went to 2 USA matches and the Final. Methinks it’ll be 3 more World Cups before we see a return to sanity. But then President Platinini hands it to France and say what he said to Turkey, basically, when you have a guy from your country THEN you can host an event. Hehehe The FIFA corruption train rolls on…….next stop?

I think the next 9 months will be crucial for Brazil. Although FIFA has said there is no plan B I find that to be either exceptionally foolhardy and cavalier or there is a plan B (and maybe C) that they won’t talk about.